Pocket clip for hearing aids



June 19, 1951 J g pso 2,557,518

POCKET CLIP FOR HEARING AIDS Filed Nov. 5, 1948 walqrgim vaon, BY

Patented June 19, 1951 STATES PATENT OFFICE POCKET our FOR nmnmo AIDS John T. Simpson, Red Bank, N. J. Application November 5, 194a, SerialNo. 58,577

1 Claim. i

This invention relates to a novel clip structure for attaching a hearing aid device in supported relation to a garment of the user.

The invention has for an object to provide a simple, inexpensive and yet very efiicient supporting clip which is adapted to be externally applied to the case of a hearing aid device in which is housed the batteries, microphone and amplifier means of an electric hearing aid system, and which, when so applied, serves as a convenient means for attaching said case to and so as to beconveniently and securely supported by a garment worn by the user of the hearing aid system. i

The invention has for a further object to provide a novel clip structure for thestated purposes which is so constructed. that it permits optional attachment of the hearing aid device either on the inside or outside of the garment by which. it is desired to be supported.

The invention has for another object to provide a novel clip structure for the stated purposes which may adjustably be located upon the hearing device to be supported thereby; that is, it may be suitably disposed at any point between the top and bottom ends of the hearing aid device accordingly as it may be desired to elevate or lower said device relative to the supporting garment.

The invention has for still another object to provide a very simple and inexpensive supporting clip for a hearing aid device, said clip comprising a novel formation produced from a single continuous length of metallic wire. A

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood i'rom the following detailed description of the same.

Illustrative embodiments of the inventionare shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a hearing aid device equipped with one form of the novel supporting clip structure, and as arranged to support said device on the inside of a user's garment by which it is to be carried; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the clip structure alone.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of a hearingaid device and the same form of supporting clip structure, but as arranged to support the device on the outside of a user's garment by which it is to be carried.

Fig. 5 is a view similar. to that of Fig. 1, but showing a modified form of the clip structure;

and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of said modified form of clip structure alone.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

In Figsv 1 to 3 inclusive is shown a preferred form of the novel clip structure according to this invention, the same consisting in a formation produced from a single continuous length of springy metallic wire of suitable gauge or of equivalent springy material. This preferred form of clip structure comprises a back bar ill, the opposite ends of which terminate in forwardly projecting transverse side bars ll. From the forward ends of said side bars ll extend inwardly projecting sections l2 which are doubled upon themselves to provide downwardly o'ifset outwardly projecting sections l3 parallel thereto, whereby said sections l2 and I3 together form longitudinally disposed front clamp arm or finger elements It that are of loop formation. The outwardly projecting sections 13 of the clamp arm or finger elements It respectively terminate in rearwardly projecting transverse side arms I5 which parallel the side bars I l, but which are of less length than the latter. The free ends of said side arms l5 are formed to provide outwardly directed, down-turned elbow portions it which terminate in dependent resilient clip members l1; the latter being preferably somewhat inwardly inclined from the perpendicular, and being provided at their free end portions with outwardly bent terminal sections l8, which, if desired, may be provided with rounded or balllike end pieces l9. Preferably the back bar I0 is formed to provide, intermediate its ends, an inwardly offset clamp section 20, so that the end portions of said back bar are subject to tensional stress when the clip structure is operatively applied to a hearing aid device.

To apply the above described form of the clip structure to a hearing aid device A to be served thereby, the latter is inserted endwise through the interior of the clip structure, ordinarily in such relation thereto as to dispose the back bar I!) across the back face of the device, with the clamp arm or finger elements l4 lapping the side marginal portions of the front face of said device. When the clip structure is thus assembled with the hearing aid device, the side arms l5 will lap the side faces of the device so as to oppose the dependent resilient clip members H to said side faces, with the end portions of the clip members II tensionally bearing against the latter. The distance between the plane of the clamp section 20 and the plane of the clamp arm or finger elements I is somewhat less than the thickness of the hearing aid device A, and consequently, when the front face of the device is stopped against said clamp arm or finger elements H with the clamp section 20 of the back bar abutting the rear face of the device, said clamp section 20 will be subject to outward thrust by the device so that the end portions of the back bar will be subjected to tensional stress which assures that the device will be firmly gripped between the clamp section and the clamp arm or finger elements I4, and thus embraced for support by the clip structure.

After the clip structure is mounted on the hearing aid device A, the assembly is ready to be attached to a garment part of the user by which it is desired to be carried. For example, the hearing aid device A may be inserted behind a selected part 2| of a garment, such e. g. as the pocket front shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the resilient clip members ll extending over the Earment part edge 22 and exteriorly of the garment part, whereby the garment material is disposed between the side faces of the hearing aid device and said clip members, with the interposed garment material tensionally gripped by said clip members. In this manner the hearing aid device is securely attached and supported at opposite sides thereof, thus effecting better distribution of its weight and thereby avoiding unsightly sagging of the supporting garment part. It will be observed that the clip members II, as thus engaging the garment material at opposite sides of the hearing aid device, tend to draw said garment material smoothly across the front of the device and partially around its sides, thus further contributing to elimination of garment sag.

Since the clip structure merely frictionally embraces the hearing aid device A, it readily permits adjustment thereof up or down upon the latter without loss of supporting grip thereupon. This is of considerable advantage to the user, for the reason that it permits optional positioning of the device, relative to the supporting garment to which it is attached, in either a raised position to expose the sound admission portion thereof,

or in a lowered position so as to substantially conceal the device.

The clip structure may be reversely applied to the hearing aid device A, that is with the back bar l0 and its clamp section 20 disposed across the front of the device and the clamp arm or finger elements ll engaging the back of the device. tion facilitates attachment of the hearing aid device wholly superposed upon the exterior of supporting garments; a disposition likely to be chosen by women users, since it assures interposition of garment material between the device and the users flesh. Even when so arranged, the two point support of the device by the side engaging clip members I! of the clip structure tends to avoid undesirable garment sag.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, a somewhat simplified form of the clip structure of this invention is shown. This modified form of clip structure also consists in a formation produced from a single continuous length of springy metallic wire or of equivalent springy material, and comprises a back bar 30, the opposite ends of which terminate in forwardly projecting transverse side bars 3|. From the forward ends of said side bars 31 extend inwardly projecting This is shown in Fig. 4, and such disposiclamp arm elements 32, which respectively terminate in dependent resilient clip member 33; the latter being somewhat rearwardly inclined from the perpendicular, and being provided at their free end portions with outwardly bent terminal sections 34, which, if desired, may be provided with rounded or ball-like end pieces 35. As in the first described form of the clip structure, the back bar 30 is formed to provide, intermediate its ends, an inwardly offset clamp section 36, so that the end portions of said back bar are subject to tensional stress when the clip structure is operatively applied to a hearing aid device.

From an inspection of Fig. 5 it will be observed that the above described modified form of clip structure is applied around and so as to embrace and frictionally grip the hearing aid device A between its clamp section 36 and the clamp arms 32, and subject to vertically adjusted disposition between the upper and lower ends of the device. In the modified form of clip structure, however, the resilient clip members 33 will engage interposed garment material between the same and the front face of the device, but nevertheless at two laterally spaced points, so that a two point suspension of the device is provided for in avoidance of undue garment sag.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

A garment engageable clip structure adapted to embrace and frictionally grip a substantially flat rectangular hearing aid device subject to vertically adjusted disposition thereon, said clip structure comprising a formation produced from a single length of springy metallic wire, said formation comprising a horizontal transverse back bar provided with a forwardly offset clamp section adapted to bear against the back face of the hearing aid device, side bars extending forwardly from the ends of said transverse back bar, looped clamp arm elements extending inwardly from said side bars in substantially parallel spaced relation to said transverse back bar and adapted to bear against the front face of the hearing aid device, side arms extending rearwardly from the lower branches of said looped clamp arm elements parallel to said side bars, and resilient clip members dependent from said side arms for disposition contiguous to the opposite sides of a hearing aid device embraced by the clip structure, whereby to engage garment material interposed between said clip members and said opposite sides of said device.

JOHN T. SIMPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 8,974 Collins Nov. 18, 1879 562,620 Kimbell June 23, 1896 789,668 Pickens May 9, 1905 1,225,921 Brockway May 15, 1911 1,270,412 Hedrick June 25, 1918 2,307,898 Olsen Jan. 12, 1943 2,460,542 Smith Feb. 1, 1949 2,480,024 Hull Aug. 23, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 112,524 Great Britain Jan. 17, 1918 

